Laura, in the sense that there are two parallel Big Storylines -- the trial and the build-up to and through the riots -- I think your sense that it's not a character-driven story resonates. Plus, so *many* characters for Sorkin to manage. How to wrangle all that and the script definitely has that kind of feel, like the performer who spins multiple plates at once.

That said, there is the Small Story -- Hoffman and Hayden -- which plays out at its own pace. Definitely tethered to the events of the plotline, but that *does* have the feel of a character-driven narrative in the sense that two intractable characters find common ground in the end.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a sprawling tale that uses a multitude of writing tricks to cover all of its narrative elements. It has the feel of history unfolding... and against that backdrop, two men representing two clashing world views find one moment where their voices unite.

Thanks for sharing the week with me, Laura!